Golden Knights beat Kraken 4-2 behind quick third period goals

LAS VEGAS — Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith scored 46 seconds apart early in the third period to lift the Vegas Golden Knights over the Seattle Kraken 4-2 on Tuesday night.

It was the second meeting of the NHL’s two newest franchises. Vegas beat Seattle on opening night, 4-3.

After a 1-4 start to the season, Vegas is on a 6-2-0 surge.

Theodore one-timed a pass from Jonathan Marchessault past Kraken goalie Chris Driedger just 30 seconds into the third to break a 2-all tie. Smith scored less than a minute later when he deflected a one-touch pass from Marchessault on a power play.

It was Marchessault’s third multi-point performance in six games.

Alex Pietrangelo and Evgeni Dadanov also scored for the Golden Knights (7-6-0). Robin Lehner, who has won three straight and five of his last six starts, made 25 saves.

Jordan Eberle and Yanni Gourde scored for Seattle (4-8-1). Driedger, making his first start and second appearance of the season, stopped 19 shots.

In a matchup of teams with the two worst power plays in the league, both scored with the man-advantage. Seattle went 1 for 4, and Vegas finished 1 for 2.

Eberle put Seattle on top early when he corralled a rebound off Lehner and backhanded the puck into an empty net for his seventh goal in seven games.

Pietrangelo tied the game after skating to the high slot and wristing a shot over Driedger’s glove with 26 seconds left in the first.

Near the end of a relatively sluggish second period, Seattle briefly took a 2-1 lead when Gourde took a pass from Brandon Tanev and flipped the puck past Lehner. Dadanov tied it 15 seconds later when he chipped a loose puck near the crease past Driedger.